Project SueWoo

I love the tv show Project Runway. I've seen every episode of every season multiple times. I love the people competing, I love fashion, I love the challenges, I love Tim Gunn, and most of all, I love observing the creative process. Invariably, I find myself cheering for the middle-aged contestant who has this one, last-minute shot at his/her dreams. Of course the young punk designers make fun -- not because they're mean and awful -- but because they have no conception of how quickly time runs out. Their lives are still a vast field where the sky will never touch the ground... This season it was "Peach", a 50-year-old, vibrant fireball with a Chicago accent and a preppy, ladies-who-lunch style. Everyone gained from her participation -- the younger designers learned from her perfect craftsmanship and her own aesthetic was refreshed and updated.

It reminds me of the movie "The Natural." It's an old movie, and I find it very interesting to gauge where I am by how I react to a movie I've seen over and over throughout my life. During a recent viewing, I was particularly aware and outraged at how mean the other ball players were to Robert Redford's Roy Hobbs. Blatant age discrimination. Just because Roy was older did not make his dreams less important -- they were more important and more urgent. He'd already learned that one little choice along the way can change everything, forever. Time and opportunity are no longer infinite. And Roy didn't care if he appeared lame and desperate to the younger guys; he had a burning quest.


Project SueWoo is my own reality show -- starring me. It's documenting me learning and growing as a person and jewelry artist and achieving measurable success one challenge at a time. And I am the middle-aged contestant that I am cheering for, because I haven't forgotten my dreams yet either. I used to write, but somewhere along the way, I lost my words. But that's another story... I'm blogging to find my voice again, to pay closer attention, to be more in the moment and enjoy the ride, as I document my journey.